Where Do Mosquitos Go in the Winter?

Where Do Mosquitos Go in the Winter? 

How mosquitos respond to colder weather and winter conditions depends on the species. There are more than 3,000 different species of mosquitos, however less than 200 of them are found in the US, and even fewer in the Chicago, IL area. 

As temperatures begin to drop below 50 degrees the adult females of some mosquitos will hibernate until warmer weather, while others will lay their eggs in water before dying. Mosquitos are cold blooded and prefer temperatures above 80* Fahrenheit.  

Any areas with stagnant water need to be addressed, as this creates an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos. Females will lay up to 300 eggs at a time, which if left undisturbed will hatch as temperatures begin to climb in the spring. It is important to mention that if the female is infected with Zika, Malaria, West Nile Virus, or Chikungunya; the offspring can also carry these various diseases or infections. 

Female mosquitos require a blood meal to produce eggs and are capable of eating 3 times their weight in blood. So, while both males and females feed primarily on plant juices and nectar, the female needs proteins in the blood meal to produce eggs. 

Most insects in the Chicago are very resilient to winter conditions and adapt to the environment in which they live. A mosquito can go from egg to adult form in less than two weeks under ideal conditions or they can remain dormant for up to 15 years with a water source. 

There are precautions you can take to reduce the amount of mosquitos found on your property–

• Bird Baths (change water and clean regularly)
• Children’s toys and swimming pools
• Garbage cans and garbage can lids
• Tires
• Patio Furniture (can become saturated in water)
• Umbrellas

While the cold weather does kill some mosquitos and certainly reduces the current activity, it does not solve the problem. In fact if steps are not taken to mitigate egg and larvae survival, your problem may only get worse each year. In it’s simplest form the answer to “Where do mosquitos go in the winter” is, they hibernate in and around your home until spring. 

When mosquitos have taken over your yard, you’ve become a prisoner in you own home, the kids don’t want to play outside, the pool is surrounded by a swarm of mosquitos, or you just don’t have the time to take care of it yourself. Call Pointe Pest Control and we would be happy to set up an initial service or send one of our skilled technicians out for an on site inspection. Our Mosquito Service holds the same Pest Free Guarantee as our General Pest Control Plan, so if mosquitos keep coming back; so will we.